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By Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip)

Despite a 2-0 win over lifeless FC Lorient on Friday, Olympique de Marseille have started the season poorly. There is nothing to suggest that the ailing southern giants are about to emerge from the malaise that has surrounded the club for the past few years.

A number of changes were made upstairs at Stade Velodrome over the summer, including the replacement of president Vincent Labrune by Giovanni Ciccolunghi and the appointment of Gunter Jacob as sporting director, but the situation on the pitch is worse than ever.

The supporters are growing increasingly frustrated, while Franck Passi is still interim coach as OM try to pay off former boss Michel and lure the right candidate to Provence to relieve the Frenchman. It does not look likely to happen anytime soon.

No fewer than eight significant players left the club this summer, including ex-captain Steve Mandanda, Michy Batshuayi, Nicolas Nkoulou and Benjamin Mendy. Marseille have hardly spent a penny replacing them, instead relying on loans for the likes of Bafetimbi Gomis and Florian Thauvin.

Rumours surfaced a few weeks ago that Luxembourg-based businessman Gerard Lopez had agreed a deal to buy the nine-time French champions from unpopular owner Margarita Louis-Dreyfus. However, those reports proved to be inaccurate and despite the club being officially up for sale for months now, the 54-year-old was struggling to find a buyer.

That is until this week, with Frank McCourt, the former owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team, set to buy French Ligue 1 club Marseille.

McCourt must rattle through a deal soon as the situation cannot go on much longer. Marseille need new ownership and they need it now or they could suffer unthinkable relegation to Ligue 2 this season. It already came surprisingly close last campaign and the team on the pitch is weaker this time around.

Les Phoceens’ current squad is arguably one of the weakest that this proud club have ever possessed. If Gomis, Thauvin and Remy Cabella do not turn up and perform, then there really is nobody else who can contribute. 

OM supporters are desperate for change and the false claims that Lopez had agreed a deal were particularly painful. McCourt's history with the Dodgers will hardly fill them with confidence, such has been the amount the fans' emotions have been tested.

Lopez was a particularly tough episode, as there was also the added mirage of an unlikely return for popular coach Marcelo Bielsa. 

Almost exactly one year ago, he resigned after the opening match of the campaign and the club has been in more disarray than usual ever since.

El Loco’s return to La Canebiere would have been a massive shot in the arm for Marseille and their suffering fans. The cult hero might also have been able to bring in a few new players before the transfer window shuts. 

Instead, OM are left with Passi and a ragtag bunch of misfits acquired at bargain bin prices, creating uncertainty over the club’s future and making a relegation battle more likely this season than a title tilt or even a shot at Europe.

It has been sad to watch Marseille’s demise under Dreyfus and Labrune’s leadership and a club with an immensely rich history being is such state of disrepair is bad for Ligue 1. 

French football needs one of its traditional powerhouses to get back on its feet and McCourt must be the man to save them. His past with the Dodgers isn't enthusing, but OM need change of some sort.

Although it will be difficult for any club to rival Paris Saint-Germain domestically, there is still potential for Marseille to get closer than most.

Even though they might not be able to knock Les Parisiens off their perch, they could still get back to close to the top of the French footballing pyramid.

With a massive fanbase and good facilities, OM could still catch up with Olympique Lyonnais and AS Monaco. Then, once back in Europe, they could try to put their hated capital rivals under a bit more pressure at the Ligue 1 summit.

Until a buyer comes forward and can actually get a deal done with Louis-Dreyfus, though, that will remain a pipedream. 

Sadly, the best Marseille can hope for right now is survival in Le Championnat and perhaps a domestic cup run. Even qualification for the UEFA Europa league should be considered a bit too ambitious at this stage.